DARLINGTON Rotary Club welcomed the town’s MP Jenny Chapman to a recent meeting.

It was the MP’s second visit to the club.

Mrs Chapman told members that issues giving cause for concern included the youth unemployment rate, which at 8.6 per cent is higher than in some other parts of the country.

Having been welcomed by the club president, Roland Lang, Mrs Chapman told members that the recently-launched Foundation For Jobs, backed by The Northern Echo, which will see 100 employers taking on apprentices, would hopefully have a positive impact.

Mrs Chapman also spoke about the number of people in Darlington borrowing money from companies at vastly-inflated interest rates, something she continues to raise in the House of Commons.

She praised Darlington Credit Union for its work in providing loans at much more realistic rates and expressed her pleasure at the decision of Darlington Rotary Club members to invest in the credit union.

Another item discussed was the forthcoming election of police and crime commissioners and the need for everyone to vote, as it was essential that the right person was chosen.

Keeping a balance between work in the constituency and the House of Commons is a problem for all MPs but most members felt that Mrs Chapman seems to be achieving this and supported Councillor Ron Lewis in expressing the thanks of the club for her taking time out of her busy schedule to address them.